by Branwen Smith

Created on: May 13, 2007

The problem with traditional wedding souvenirs, like pretty bags of sugared almonds, is that they are given for the sake of giving something, and not because they will be wanted or used by wedding guests.

Modern day weddings are increasingly planned to be unique and personal to the happy couple. The Bride and Groom want their special day to reflect their own lives and personalities. The choice of wedding souvenir is one of the ways that this can be achieved.

Your hobbies and interests, your work, the country where you come from and its traditions, the general theme and colours of your wedding day or the location of your wedding, are all wonderful sources of inspiration for choosing a wedding souvenir.

Cost must come into your choice as well, so you need to choose a gift that can be bought in bulk at a reasonable price. Makes sure you do your sums and stick to your budget, because these gifts can become incredibly expensive if you are not careful.

Do you want to be able to personalise the gift with your names and wedding date? If so, it will limit your choice options, but as it can be a nice touch you may feel that it is worth it. An alternative option is to attach a tag with your names and date instead of getting the actual object printed.

I am a Scot and my husband and I got married with a traditional Scottish wedding, full of celtic themes. We chose to give our guests slate coasters, printed with celtic knotwork. They looked classy, were different to all my friends' choices of wedding souvenir and reflected our lives and interests. Our guests obviously found them useful, and didn't add them to the drawer of sugared almonds they have collected over the, because nearly three years on I still see them in use on my friends' coffee tables.

We are currently living in Australia - home of the great Australian stubbie holder, which is designed to hold your cold can or bottle of fizzy drink or beer, keeping your drink cold and preventing your fingers from becoming frozen. Many Australian households boast large and varied collections. Stubbie holders, printed with the Bride and Groom's names and photo, are now a very popular wedding souvenir. They are personal, very Australian and have a practical use for the wedding guest.

If you are getting married on a beach why not give decorated shells to go with the theme?

Talented musicians could record a piece of music or a song and give each of their guests a CD.

The gift could reflect your favourite football team, or a sport that the Bride and Groom and many of the guests enjoy. For instance, printed golf balls for golf enthusiasts.

The choices are endless and require you to look at your own circumstances and lives, and use your imaginations in order to find a gift that you will feel pleased to have given when you look back and remember your big day.

One last extra souvenir, which is a lovely post-wedding touch, is to make sure a large group photo of all your guests is taken, and then send everyone a copy.

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